This invention relates to flexible shaft couplings, and more particularly, to elastomeric couplings for transmitting torque between two shafts approximately aligned on a shaft axis, i.e., to elastomeric couplings joining a pair of axially spaced shafts.
The invention further relates to such couplings which have annularly discontinuous elastomeric portions.
Attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,400, which issued Jan. 6, 1987 and which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the past, flexible shaft couplings employing elastomeric material have commonly also employed metallic shoes which were suitably bonded to the elastomeric material. The use of such steel shoes increased the weight of the flexible coupling, with consequent limitation on the rotational speeds of such couplings.